The present invention relates to Insulating Concrete Form systems utilizing foam block forms and, more specifically, to improvements to the foam panels, the foam corner panels and the interlocking connection means associated therewith.
Insulating Concrete Form (ICF) systems are known and serve to both contain fluid concrete while it solidifies and provide insulation for the finished structure. Such systems utilize a plurality of individual units, panels or blocks aligned horizontally and vertically in an interlocking arrangement to create forms for concrete walls. Each block comprises a pair of foamed panels which are retained in a spaced relationship parallel to each other by a plurality of ties.
The spacing ties are truss-like and include opposing flange portions which reside within respective opposing foam panels. The opposing flange portions are separated by an intermediate web portion connected therebetween, enabling the tie to hold and secure the panel portions. Some prior art designs teach slide-in ties having flanges which are configured to be complementary with slots formed in the panels. Such block designs have the disadvantage of requiring work-site assembly.
Other prior art ICF designs teach the use of prefabricated foam block concrete forms in which opposing flanges of each tie are molded into respective opposing foam walls of the foam block. Many of these ICF designs teach the use of a foam form block having a lower or bottom longitudinal edge which is designed to engageably receive only the upper or top longitudinal edge of a similar block positioned therebelow, and an upper or top longitudinal edge which is designed to engageably receive only the lower or bottom longitudinal edge of a similar block placed thereupon.
The interlocking mechanisms associated with many of the prior art ICF designs also include spaces or sockets formed between the teeth or projection patterns associated therewith wherein water, contaminants, and other debris can accumulate and can be trapped during installation and construction of a wall structure using an ICF system. Since these ICF forms are exposed to inclement weather during installation at a particular site, water and other debris becomes trapped in the sockets and spaces formed between the connection means and no means are provided for allowing such debris and water to be removed or to escape prior to connecting adjacent ICF forms. If water and/or debris is allowed to remain in such spaces or sockets, the integrity of the joinder between two adjacent ICF forms is compromised since such water and/or debris hinders and interferes with a good solid connection between adjacent ICF forms. This not only weakens the joinder since a full and tight seat cannot be achieved between adjacent ICF forms, but it also affects the insulation capabilities of the ICF forms since cracks and other spaces may exist between adjacent forms due to the trapped and accumulated water and debris. Also, depending upon the time of year, trapped water may also freeze and cause other structural instability problems.
Weakening of the joinder connection between two adjacent ICF forms due to trapped water and/or debris can likewise cause the wall structure formed by the ICF system to be displaced due to the outward forces created when concrete is poured therebetween. It is therefore desirable that the interlocking connection means associated with any ICF system include a mechanism to prevent the possibility of water and/or other debris being trapped within the spaces or sockets associated with the interlocking connection means.
It is also known in the art to design ties for a foam form block that will produce two independently structurally sound half-height blocks if cut laterally in half. However, in most prior art designs, in the event that it is necessary to remove the top half of the block along the horizontal midpoint, the top half of the block becomes unusable waste, due to the fact that these ties are not used with foam blocks that are designed to be vertically reversibly interlocking with adjacent blocks. Furthermore, these prior art tie designs fail to optimize distribution of the flow of fluid concrete across the web portion of the tie. Rather, they serve to impede even distribution of the fluid concrete between the foam panels.
During installation and construction, it is also desirable to easily locate the opposing flanges associated with the spacing ties since these flanges serve as anchoring studs for a wide variety of different applications. It is therefore also desirable to have indicator means associated with the foam panels forming the ICF system to easily facilitate the location of the tie flanges.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.